IF Gleneagles can produce more drama like this in 13 months’ time, the Ryder Cup will be a roaring success.

The records will state in black and white that Tommy Fleetwood claimed his maiden European Tour victory by pipping Stephen Gallacher and Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez at the first extra hole.

But that doesn’t come close to telling the thrilling story of highs, lows and agonising close calls that made the last nine holes of this Johnnie Walker Championship compulsive viewing.

The 18,211-strong crowd saw an unforgettable show with sub-plots everywhere.

As if the walking wounded Gallacher playing through the pain of his freak car-wash injury all week wasn’t enough, we had the sight of Gonzalez twice lying flat out on the Centenary Course’s turf getting physio on his right knee.

We had the lead changing hands like a game of pass the parcel as a stream of birdies and bogeys constantly turned the leaderboard on its head.

And then, fittingly for the setting, there were the eagles.

In the past the 18th hole here has been panned as a boring uphill slog unworthy of staging the nail-biting conclusion of a Ryder Cup, as it will in September next year.

So it was exciting to see the massive overhaul of the hole pay dividends yesterday as it staged some cracking moments that got the crowd on its feet.

None more so than when Clydebank rookie Scott Henry rolled home a snaking 25-footer for eagle to snatch a surprise share of the lead on 17 under.

The cheer that erupted from the partisan crowd was matched by the passion of the 26-year-old’s fist-pumping celebration.

Stephen Gallacher (Photo: SNS Group)

But no sooner had Henry started hitting balls on the range to prepare himself for a play-off than a similar roar down the hill hailing Gallacher’s eagle convinced him to put his clubs away.

At that point it looked like as if Scot Gallacher had done enough to win it with his eagle moving him clear on 18 under. It was a fantastic effort after he’d earlier looked to have blown it when a triple-bogey seven at the 11th dropped him like a stone from first place to eighth.

But this was a day when men dug deep and no one did that more so than Fleetwood. Things seemed to be slipping away when he bogeyed 15 while Gallacher was producing his last-hole heroics.

The Englishman responded brilliantly, eagling the 16th and then producing a birdie on the last to book his place in the play-off, while playing partner Gonzalez almost snatched victory with a bunker shot that hit the hole but didn’t drop.

With Gallacher finding a bunker and Gonzalez through the back on the first extra hole, Fleetwood’s lasered approach to that narrow 18th green gave him the two putts he needed to claim victory in front of his parents and his lucky mascot – border collie cross Maisy.

Fleetwood said: “The dog goes to every tournament in Britain. It’s nice she’s here with my mum and dad to see my first European Tour victory.”